Improved latch for blinds or shutters



NITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

B. S. HUNTINGTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED LATCH FOR BLiNDS OR SHUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51,] S6. dated November 28, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Rev. B. S. HUNTING- TON, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improved Latch for Blinds and Shutters, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of my latch, showing it as holding a shutter open. Fig. 2 is a front view, showing it as holding` a blind closed and locked. Fig. 3 is a view showing one manner of holding the latch-lever for keeping a blind half-way open. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the lever, detached from the shutter.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The latches at present used on blinds and shutters are so arranged that much difficulty occursin unfastening them. They are either arranged near the front edge of the blind,which, when the blindis open, necessitates the reaching of the arm, and oftentimes the head, way out of the window to unfasten them, and even then the operation is dificult and troublesome, or else they are arranged near the inner side of the shutter; but this, though it provides an easy access to the catch, is not secure, the wind causing the shutter to surge and soon become unfastened. Y,

The object, therefore, of my invention is to provide a latch which will be secure, and at the same time easily operated and very accessible to the person desiring` to close the shutter or blind; and my invention consists in the use of a lever arranged transversely across the bottom of the blind or shutter, and having an arm on its outer end, carrying suitable catches for holding the shutter either open or closed, and a knob at the other end, by which to operate the lever; also, in using, in connection with such a lever, a dog or other device for locking or bolting the lever so as to prevent the catches from being unhooked when the shutter is closed by a person without; also, a device used in connection with said lever for keeping the blind part-way open when shade, and light, and ventilation are required at the same time.

To enable others to understand my invention,`I will now proceed to describe it.

A represents a window-shutter, which may be of the ordinary or any suitable construction.

B is the lever, which in length is sufficient to extend nearly or quite across the shutter. This lever is pivoted to the shutter in any suitable way, as shown at in the several gures. It is desirable that it should be so pivoted that the outer end will be the heavier, so as to have the catches always down-that is, in proper position to catch over the staples on the side of the house and on the window-sill.

On the outer end of this lever an arm, C, (see Fig. 4,) is secured at right angles thereto, each of its ends being provided with-a nose or catch a, the one for catching over the staple or hook b on the side of the house provided for the purpose, when the shutter is opened, and the other catching over the staple c on the window-sill when the shutter is closed. On the inner end ofthe leverB, aknob dis secured, which is to be taken hold of to depress the inner end of the lever in orderto raise the outer end so as to free the catches from the staples, the outer end of the lever being, as before stated, heavy enough to fall of its own gravity so soon as the hand is removed from the knob d. This knob is very accessible to the hand whether the shutter be opened or closed, as can be readily seen by reference to Figs. 1 and2.

In order to bolt the shutter when closed, I provide a dog, e, which is pivoted to the shutter in such position that it will fall under the knob d, and prevent the lever from moving; but I do not limit myself to this mode of locking the lever, as various means can be adopted. It will be understood that the dog c, or other device used for locking the lever is located on such a part of the shutter as not to be accessible from the outside, which is of great importance when the shutters are on the lower stories of a house.

I also provide a means tobe used in connection with the lever B for keeping the shutter part-way open, which is desirable when shade is required, and ventilation or light at the same time. This can be accomplished in many ways.

I have shown an eye, f, connected tothe knob d, and set at a proper angle to enable it to be placed over a hook, g, on the window-sill.

The lever, and its arm, and knob I design making of one solid piece of metal and thus combine strength with durability; and I intend to locate or arrange the lever in a mortise in the bottom of the blind or shutter when the lutter are so made as to permit this being done. In such cases only the catches and the knob for operating the lever will be visible.

From the above description it will be seen that I provide a. latch for blinds or shutters which can be operated easily, whether the shutter or blind be opened or closed, and which will be secure in every respect. y

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The lever B, provided with catches ct a, and operating substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the above, the dog o, employed to lock the lever B, as specified.

3. The hook g and eye Ii, or equivalents thereof, in combination with the lever B, substantially as and for the purpose herein specied.

B. S. HUNTINGTON.

Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, W. E. LYON. 

